Maybe someone likes the color! Imagine that, not everyone has the same taste as you!

Exactly! It only acts to hurt current loyal owners if matching the equipment is important to them and they want to upgrade and it also adds a level of misinformation as well as confusion to any new customers that are researching their products online which is their main form of marketing. If there were sound quality improvements I could see rationalizing such a decision but if it is based solely on cosmetics not everyone is going to see it as an improvement anyways especially individuals that currently own product and want to upgrade. When you have over a decade of marketing behind an entire lineup of speakers and it no longer reflects it from a aesthetic standpoint it puts into question how relevant all the marketing is behind the product currently which is being sold today.

I see this as more cost/benefit analysis than anything else. And the costs involved outweigh the benefits IMO.

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I’m armed and I’m drinking. You don’t want to listen to advice from me, amigo.

i just saw a pic of a buddy who recieved his VP180.. i love the look of the driver. i personally think they should change all the drivers.

i have the M60,VP150,QS8's and EP500, so i can relate to how some folks might feel. I personaly don't like the way my set looks with the grills off, i think someone said it... they do look dated! but then again i didn't buy them for the looks. but for some folks it could be an issue! i've read hear and there some folks just don't like the way they look. granted bad move for them, but it would also be a bad move for axiom to not modernize a bit.

for the future axiom owners if all the drivers look like the vp180's good for them. it's icing on the cake, they'll have performance and looks, not to mention i think it will attract some folks. for instance i love my EP500's performance and the look of the driver, it's seeexxxy. if i had the look of the drivers of the VP180 or my EP500 on my set i honestly think i would leave the grills off, they just look really cool.

This is just my opinion having asked Axiom to be gracious enough to build one of these for me. My intent was to have a speaker that "matched" my M80s. My original intent was of course to match them sonically, not knowing that a change in colo(u)r was in the works. If I wanted I true match, I would expect the same colo(u)r scheme.

My wife asked me if I would be upset if mine looked like the released ones. I said I would initially, until I heard it, then it would not bother me as much, but still probably bother me a little. I'm a very anal electrical engineer, so even with the grilles on I would know they did not "match".

Again, several people here have had them for quite a bit now... Any opinions on the sound?

Exactly! It only acts to hurt current loyal owners if matching the equipment is important to them and they want to upgrade

I think Axiom made this change in response to feedback -- much of which probably came from the customer survey they conducted last year, from existing customers. Matching is a valid concern, though, and I have a feeling Axiom will be responsive to this and allow a choice of driver styles to those wishing to match existing speakers.

Originally Posted By: Dr.House

it also adds a level of misinformation as well as confusion to any new customers that are researching their products online which is their main form of marketing.

Here I completely disagree with you. How can Axiom changing a product's appearance be construed as misinformation? They are not in direct control of review sites. If a company is overly concerned about having their current line-up match existing information about their older products, then they'd never change a thing and would stagnate.

The wonderful thing about selling speakers online is that customers must come to your website to buy them (unless they're buying used from a 3d party). I'm sure Axiom will update its product pictures to reflect the new driver style once the other lines are updated to v3. (Notice that the VP180 does not yet have its own product page.) I'm also sure various audio sites will take note of the apparently controversial change.

_________________________I can explain it to you but I can't understand it for you.